Donetsk, Lugansk republics unite in “Novorossiya” state

DONETSK, May 24. /ITAR-TASS/. Self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk have united in a state called Novorossiya (New Russia), the chairman of the DPR Supreme Council, Denis Pushilin has said.

“We’ve signed a memorandum on the republics’ union. We've named the united regions as the union of people’s republics,” Pushilin told Itar-Tass on Saturday.

Answering a question about the unification of the republics’ government, he said, “I believe that this will happen in due time. It is expedient.”

The DPR commissions are currently working to form a new social and economic platform under which the new region will live, Pushilin said.

Earlier, Donbass Governor Pavel Gubarev said the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics “signed a document on the union in Novorossiya”.

“The document was signed by DPR premier Alexander Borodai and head of the Lugansk People’s Republic Alexei Karyakin,” Gubarev said.

“We do not recognise the president and parliament of Ukraine. The Donetsk and Lugansk republics are independent states. We will recognise a government of a newly-elected president if they [the Kiev authorities] recognise the republics’ independence,” he said.

“They should immediately withdraw troops from our republics and stop any military actions,” Gubarev added.